Frame formatting for communications within single user, multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications

Abstract

Frame formatting for communications within single user, multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications. A signal is processed within a communication device using at least two respective downclocking ratios (e.g., a first downclocking ratio applied to a first portion of the signal such as a frame or packet extracted there from, a second downclocking ratio applied to a second portion of the signal). Alternatively, a signal is divided into more than two respective portions, and different respective downclocking ratios are applied to those different respective portions (e.g., a first downclocking ratio applied to a first portion of the signal, and so on up to an n-th downclocking ratio applied to an n-th portion of the signal). Some implementations apply a singular or common downclocking ratio to more than one portion of the signal (which may be contiguous/adjacent or non-contiguous/non-adjacent within the signal).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wireless communication device comprising:
 a communication interface; and 
 processing circuitry that is coupled to the communication interface, wherein at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry configured to:
 receive an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) packet from another wireless communication device via a communication channel having a channel bandwidth; 
 process a first portion of the OFDM packet that includes a first one or more fields based on a first one or more OFDM symbols based on a first clock signal; 
 downclock the first clock signal using a downclocking factor to generate a second clock signal; 
 
 process a second portion of the OFDM packet that includes a second one or more fields based on a second one or more OFDM symbols and that follows the first portion of the OFDM packet based on the second clock signal to extend symbol duration of the second one or more fields based on the second one or more OFDM symbols; 
 downclock the first clock signal using another downclocking factor to generate a third clock signal; and 
 process a third portion of the OFDM packet that includes a third one or more fields based on a third one or more OFDM symbols and that follows the second portion of the OFDM packet based on the third clock signal to extend symbol duration of the third one or more fields based on the third one or more OFDM symbols. 
 
     
     
       2. The wireless communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 downclock the first clock signal using the downclocking factor of 4 to generate the second clock signal. 
 
     
     
       3. The wireless communication device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first one or more fields based on the first one or more OFDM symbols of the first portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one signal field (SIG); and 
 the second one or more fields based on the second one or more OFDM symbols of the second portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one data field. 
 
     
     
       4. The wireless communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 downclock the first clock signal using the downclocking factor of 2 to generate the second clock signal; and 
 downclock the first clock signal using the another downclocking factor of 4 to generate the third clock signal. 
 
     
     
       5. The wireless communication device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first one or more fields based on the first one or more OFDM symbols of the first portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one signal field (SIG); 
 the second one or more fields based on the second one or more OFDM symbols of the second portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one of at least one short training field (STF) or at least one long training field (LTF); and 
 the third one or more fields based on the third one or more OFDM symbols of the third portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one data field. 
 
     
     
       6. The wireless communication device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an access point (AP), wherein the another wireless communication device includes a wireless station (STA). 
 
     
     
       7. The wireless communication device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a wireless station (STA), wherein the another wireless communication device includes an access point (AP). 
 
     
     
       8. A wireless communication device comprising:
 a communication interface; and 
 processing circuitry that is coupled to the communication interface, wherein at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry configured to:
 receive an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) packet from another wireless communication device via a communication channel having a channel bandwidth; 
 process a first portion of the OFDM packet that includes a first one or more fields based on a first one or more OFDM symbols based on a first clock signal; 
 downclock the first clock signal using a first downclocking factor to generate a second clock signal; 
 process a second portion of the OFDM packet that includes a second one or more fields based on a second one or more OFDM symbols and that follows the first portion of the OFDM packet based on the second clock signal to extend symbol duration of the second one or more fields based on the second one or more OFDM symbols; 
 downclock the first clock signal using a second downclocking factor to generate a third clock signal; and 
 process a third portion of the OFDM packet that includes a third one or more fields based on a third one or more OFDM symbols and that follows the second portion of the OFDM packet based on the third clock signal to extend symbol duration of the third one or more fields based on the third one or more OFDM symbols. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The wireless communication device of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 downclock the first clock signal using the first downclocking factor of 2 to generate the second clock signal; and 
 downclock the first clock signal using the second downclocking factor of 4 to generate the third clock signal. 
 
     
     
       10. The wireless communication device of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first one or more fields based on the first one or more OFDM symbols of the first portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one signal field (SIG); 
 the second one or more fields based on the second one or more OFDM symbols of the second portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one of at least one short training field (STF) or at least one long training field (LTF); and 
 the third one or more fields based on the third one or more OFDM symbols of the third portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one data field. 
 
     
     
       11. The wireless communication device of  claim 8  further comprising:
 an access point (AP), wherein the another wireless communication device includes a wireless station (STA). 
 
     
     
       12. The wireless communication device of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a wireless station (STA), wherein the another wireless communication device includes an access point (AP). 
 
     
     
       13. A method for execution by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
 receiving, via a communication interface of the wireless communication device, an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) packet from another wireless communication device via a communication channel having a channel bandwidth; 
 processing a first portion of the OFDM packet that includes a first one or more fields based on a first one or more OFDM symbols based on a first clock signal; 
 downclocking the first clock signal using a downclocking factor to generate a second clock signal; 
 processing a second portion of the OFDM packet that includes a second one or more fields based on a second one or more OFDM symbols and that follows the first portion of the OFDM packet based on the second clock signal to extend symbol duration of the second one or more fields based on the second one or more OFDM symbols; 
 downclocking the first clock signal using another downclocking factor to generate a third clock signal; and 
 processing a third portion of the OFDM packet that includes a third one or more fields based on a third one or more OFDM symbols and that follows the second portion of the OFDM packet based on the third clock signal to extend symbol duration of the third one or more fields based on the third one or more OFDM symbols. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 downclocking the first clock signal using the downclocking factor of 4 to generate the second clock signal. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the first one or more fields based on the first one or more OFDM symbols of the first portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one signal field (SIG); and 
 the second one or more fields based on the second one or more OFDM symbols of the second portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one data field. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 downclocking the first clock signal using the downclocking factor of 2 to generate the second clock signal; and 
 downclocking the first clock signal using the another downclocking factor of 4 to generate the third clock signal. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the first one or more fields based on the first one or more OFDM symbols of the first portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one signal field (SIG); 
 the second one or more fields based on the second one or more OFDM symbols of the second portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one of at least one short training field (STF) or at least one long training field (LTF); and 
 the third one or more fields based on the third one or more OFDM symbols of the third portion of the OFDM packet includes at least one data field. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the wireless communication device includes an access point (AP), and the another wireless communication device includes a wireless station (STA).